The Idaho LWC Board of Directors is pleased to announce some exciting changes coming to Idaho in 2019. Some major changes that will take place are:

Qualifying Totals for State Championships

The Genesis Series

Tiered registration fees

Amendment to the Bylaws

The BOD Meeting Minutes are below and they can also be found here. The BOD would like to address any questions you may have or hear your feedback. Ben Bristow, Dan Fischer, and Alison Ruoff will all be available on Friday, January 25th 5:00 p.m. at Crown Performance. There will be a Technical Meeting for all athletes and coaches by USAW Community Development Training Site Director Michael Conroy and also a brief overview of the new initiatives that will take place in 2019. All athletes and coaches are welcome to attend, not just the Genesis competitors and coaches.

The 2019 Competition Calendar is tentative and will be added to the LWC Calendar found here. With The Genesis Series being approved on January 10th, information regarding criteria for clubs wanting to host a meet, points, and qualifying totals for the Genesis Finals and State Championship will be forthcoming.

Over the past 6 years all of my efforts had been focused on being the Director of Coaching Education for USA Weightlifting.

I’m eternally indebted to USA Weightlifting for giving me the opportunity to have this position as it was always my dream job. I truly enjoyed it and believe that we had an unprecedented success that continues today.

As great as it was it truly was a 24/7/365 experience and when my tenure ended, January 1st 2018, I took some substantial time off to reflect and consider my future. My club, Idaho Weightlifting, was for all intentions, dormant as only a few athletes could weather the storm of my constant and prolonged absences caused by my Director duties.

It was during this hiatus that USA Weightlifting contacted me and asked if I could make myself available to assist with their Summer Training Camps, Two at the Rogue Facility in Columbus Ohio and another two at the USOTC in Colorado Springs. It was during these camps that I realized that I am at my very best when I am actively working with athletes and coaches.

I decided that I needed to apply for a USA Weightlifting Community Development Site. This idea made perfect sense, at least to me. The experience I had garnered in over my tenure with USAW would be of little value if I just went back to my club. However if I could continue to represent and promote USA Weightlifting the outreach would, potentially, have a greater impact within our LWC and the surrounding area.

I approached Crown Barbell for a number of reasons. They were a new, up and coming club that had established a collaboration with 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Pole Vaulter Stacy Dragila and her, two time Olympian Discus Thrower, husband, Ian Walsh and their Vault Company. The facility was ideal for meeting the Community Development Site Requirements. After a serious conversation with Kevin Burke and Kris Foster that resulted with the 3 of us being of the Athletes First Cadre I was convinced that this was the very best way for me to return to ‘day to day’ coaching. Finally I found Kindred Spirtis in the coaching approach used by Stacy and Ian, and that closed the circle of the Weightlifting/Sports Performance/Functional Fitness trifecta.

In October we were one of 76 applicants, nationwide and very fortunate to be among the 24 locations selected for 2019. The process included strict adherence to a series of requirements that needed to be completed by December 15th as well as an interview and a final review by a committee at the national office.

If you have read this far then you can just go to our Mission Statement on the Main Page and get the gist of how we plan to operate.

I say this with absolute sincerity. The USA Weightlifting Community Development Site is here to assist everyone in achieving their goals for 2019 and beyond.

The Idaho LWC has posted the Idaho State Records standards for the 10 new weight classes which will go into effect in September 2018 to coincide with AO3. The old state records will still be visible on the website and can be found under Archived State Records.

The following guidelines were used in determining what the new standards would be:

If the new weight class was heavier than the old weight class the current record was kept. This rule was kept for all three divisions and the two youth sub groups with the exceptions listed below.

In the open division, the 45kg/81kg weight classes for women and the 73kg/102kg weight classes for men were set using 95% of the QT for the AO Finals.

The Masters State Records will be filled as they are presented. If there was an existing record and the new weight class was heavier than the old, the old record was kept.

For the two youth sub groups (U13 and 14-15 years old) there were 11 weight class vacancies between the two groups so the old Idaho Standard was rolled over and adjusted for the new weight class structure.

The Idaho LWC looks forward to seeing new names and some old favorites populate the records in the coming months. Remember to submit your records within 60 days of your competition through our website. If you have or will compete in a National competition, make sure to send your name, weight class, competition and date, and the place you received via our Contact page so we can add you to our Hall of Champions.

Send questions, comments, or concerns regarding the new state records to alisonruoff@idaholwc.org

With all of the changes happening in the LWC and at USAW it's hard to keep up with it all. Think of this as a quick reference guide that highlights some of the important news and changes in the last 4 months.

January 2018

Ben Bristow

The first ever Coaching Symposium was announced and will be held in Chicago, July 20-22nd. For more information and to register click here.

Ben Bristow was elected as the LWC president replacing long time president Michael Conroy. Read more about the LWC Board of Directors here.

Webpoint Membership Management System registers state and local level competitions for the first time. Eliminating the need for third party vendors like Eventbrite in order to register athletes for meets.

The American Open III in Las Vegas will be the first competition to adopt the new weight class categories. Read more about the new weight categories here.

In order to register for National Events, athletes and coaches need to complete online USADA online education modules. FInd out more here.

February 2018

All athletes 17 years old and under are required to weigh in wearing a singlet. Athletes 18 or older have the option to wear a singlet if they choose to. Read more about the rule changes for weigh ins here.

March 2018

The IWF Executive Board met in Colorado Springs, and although they are not sharing the new 10 body weight categories, they continue to do valuable work especially in the area of Clean Sport. The bodyweight categories will be announced in early July.

The 2019 American Open Series II will be held in Albuquerque. Read more here.

Masters Camps were announced at the Training Center in August featuring Idaho's own Michael Conroy. For more information and to register follow this link.

April 2018

Pat Corbett (left) and Michael Conroy are National Referees for the Idaho LWC

The age requirements were changed for the 2019 National University Championships. Read more about this change here.

The Idaho LWC Board of Directors voted unanimously on the following changes to the state records:

Athletes will have 60 days to submit state records from the date they were set in order to be valid.

State records can only be set at open meets. Athletes participating in closed local meets will not qualify for state records.

For more information on the upcoming State Championship and all of the BOD meeting minutes click here.

Pat Corbett become only the second USA Weightlifting National Referee ever for the Idaho LWC. He joins Michael Conroy who became a National Referee in 1995.

USA Weightlifting Addendum to the IWF TCRR

Weigh Ins for the 13 & Under Category.

The USA Weightlifting Technical Committee, with the support of the USA Weightlifting Board of Directors, have authorized the following addendum to the IWF TCRRs regarding the Weigh In, effective immediately:USA Weightlifting athletes aged 13 and Under (according to their age on 12/31 of that year), MUST weigh in wearing a singlet at any USA Weightlifting sanctioned competition.

Technical Officials are requested to see the SafeSport measures approved by the USA Weightlifting Board of Directors in July 2017 for further detail on requirements for youth weigh ins.

For the avoidance of doubt, the above rule means that weigh ins for this age category, weigh ins in underwear or any garment less than a singlet is strictly prohibited.

USA Weightlifting Addendum to the IWF TCRR - Singlet

The USA Weightlifting Technical Committee, with the support of the USA Weightlifting Board of Directors, have authorized an addendum to the IWF TCRR 4.2.1 regarding costume. This rule is in effect within any USA Weightlifting sanctioned competition effective immediately. The rule addendum in full is as follows:

Athletes in USA Weightlifting competitions:• Must cover the entire abdominal area between the chest and pelvis.• Must be worn as it is designed with the left side strap and right side strap overeach respective shoulder.• No halters.• Must fall within the IWF Guidelines for Athletes Outfit (see below.)• A T-shirt or tank-top worn under the costume may be used to cover theabdominal area.

All Athletes should reference the following on the IWF website:• Go to Download Section• Go to Technical Officials (21)• Go to TOs A Guide To Competitions• Go to Technical Officials (April 26, 2012)• Go to IWF Guideline for Athletes Outfit (Technical Officials)• Download the link

On Saturday, October 28th in Nampa, 62 athletes from all over Idaho competed in one of the most memorable State Championships to date. The Idaho LWC awarded $1000 in cash to the top 3 male and female athletes based on Sinclair. Kevin Wexler (105 KG) 123/154/277, Verdant Barbell, and Christie Goodrich (53 KG) 69/84/153, Boise Barbell, walked away with 1st place and $250. Matt Martin (94 KG) 112/142/254, Unattached, and Shay Carlock (90 KG) 85/115/200, Heart and Barbell Club, earned 2nd place and $150 with 3rd place going to Jordan Becker (77 KG) 103/127/230, Boise Barbell, and Catie Bristow (53 KG) 62/80/142, Fireside Barbell, $100. The Idaho LWC wants to congratulate all of the athletes who entered the arena and competed on Saturday.

Men's Team Champions-Boise Barbell

Dylan Clagg

Tyson Hymas

Jordan Becker

Andreas Bueno

Kyle Young

Men's Team Champions - Heart and Barbell

Alexander Cazier

Ethan Jolley

Vincent Russo

Tyler Carlock

Women's Team Champions - Boise Barbell

Christie Goodrich

Chrisie Paiz

Kelli Weight

Dalia Mellish-Santos

Deb Hanscom

Best Lifter Honors

Senior - Kevin Wexler/Christie Goodrich

Masters - Tony Ober/Kelli Weight

Youth - Tyler Carlock/Shay Carlock

Junior - Connor Halsey

Top Male and Female Athletes

The top three male and female athletes in each weight class were awarded engraved medals.

This marked the last official State Championships for Conroy, the president of the Idaho LWC, and the "Founding Father" of weightlifting as a sport in the state of Idaho. Since 1983, Conroy has been involved in the State Championships so the Board of Directors felt it was necessary to honor him in a brief tribute between the Women's B and A sessions. Brian Nielsen, Conroy's 1st National Champion and gold medal winner at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, presented Conroy with our Legacy Award. Many of Conroy's former athletes contributed kind words regarding their time with Conroy and Lani Sosnowski's words were read as an introduction to this video tribute.

I first met Con when I was going into the 8th grade, through my dad, who thought lifting would help me with my strength and speed for shot put and discus. My first training session was with Con, Kayla Dial, and Tyler (T-dog) Dalling, in an old bus shed in Meridian, ID. I admit, I started training to make my dad happy, but that quickly changed because lifting made me happy. I enjoyed it more than any other sport I had ever tried. Conroy’s enthusiasm for the sport (coupled with his constant cynicism and sarcasm for everything), made every training something I looked forward to. The excitement of a successful lift or the disappointment of a miss during competition was always evident on his face, but it’s what made having him as my coach so great. In the pressure of competition, he was feeling exactly what we were. He would rarely sugar coat anything. If you made a rookie mistake, he would tell you to pull your head out of your ass and do what we had been trained to do. Lift. His training, coaching, and his patience has translated throughout my adult life. If it weren’t for Conroy, Idaho wouldn’t have such an amazing sport and I wouldn’t have some of my best memories. I know you’re going to balk at having all these “touching stories,” but just accept it. You’ve brought a lot of great memories and a great sport to so many of us. Thank you Con. For everything. 

This link will provide you with access to SafeSport certification and a list of USAW certified coaches that have completed the SafeSport education program. With 94 certified coaches in Idaho, we currently only have eight that have met the new standard. You can also find links to SafeSport certification through our resources link on our website.

On April 27th, 2017 the Board of Directors and members met to approve the new Idaho LWC Bylaws and related documents. All of these documents are now available on our web site to view and download.

These documents outline the direction of the Idaho LWC and will guide the organization as it strives to serve the athletes and coaches in our jurisdiction. The Competition Guidelines and Meet Directors Checklist are of particular importance to all barbell clubs within the LWC who will be or are already scheduled to host a sanctioned event. These are all effective immediately upon adoption by the BOD.

Our web site has undergone a small restructuring with all of the resources for members located in one area. The links provided will guide you to referee certification, the USAW membership page, Safesport, and will be a one-stop shop for all your weightlifting needs.

The BOD also held an executive session after the regular board meeting. Meeting minutes are available under the Governance and Policy section on our "Who We Are" page. Please like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram/Twitter to stay current with exciting Idaho LWC news as we begin preparation for the Idaho State Championships in October.

The Idaho LWC has updated the way the Youth division state records will be kept. Under the state records tab you will find two new sections (u-13 and 14-15) with the weight class structure and the Idaho Standard listed for each weight class.

The standards are based upon the Qualifying Standards for USAW's Youth National Championships. They range from 80 to 100 percent depending upon the number of participants that achieved these marks at the 2016 Youth Nationals (the first time these total where used)

Athletes meeting or exceeding this standard will be added to the record books. We will accept submissions retroactively from June 25, 2016 (Youth Nationals). Athletes will need to submit a state record form through the website for approval.

The Idaho LWC feels that this change is reflective of their mission, vision, and commitment to excellence in competition. We also feel that with our Youth athletes, and all athletes, quality training and technique should be held in the highest regard and paramount in the development of our youngest weightlifters.

The state records for the Youth division have been updated with the following changes:

As the growth of the Idaho Local Weightlifting Committee continues at a rapid pace we are quickly outgrowing the original By-Laws. Items that are in need of updating and clarification include the role of the positions on the Board of Directors as well as the roles of members, clubs, and the creation of additional committees.

Other items include finances, best practices in servicing the membership, and the organization of competitions. Of course none of these items are achievable without participation from the members themselves. 2017 is a watershed year as elections are scheduled for October and without the membership seeking active roles in the leadership of our LWC none of the goals of the organization can be attained.

Here is your opportunity. If you would like to be involved in the rewriting of the By-Laws of the Idaho LWC please respond to idaholwc59@gmail.com

Like taxes you have until April 15th to be involved in this historic event and help write the first chapter of the new book for the Idaho LWC.

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Best of luck to all of our Idaho athletes heading into their final weeks of prep for Nationals! #Repost @crystalparks ・・・
3 weeks out from nationals.. started my Monday with a SNATCH PR!
Coach @crunkjuicegucci says build to a heavy single for the day.. 185lb and a near miss at 190! 💚💁🏼‍♀️ @verdantcrossfit @verdantbarbellclub @idaholwc59 #snatch #weightlifting #nationalsprep #usaw #crossfit #girlswholift #olympicweightlifting

Don’t forget to register for the 2019 National Masters Championship by February 23rd - Repost from @sunshikchang - These will be broken, probably very soon. 😂😂
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But I’m still proud to have these for the time being.
@movefastliftheavy @gritbarbell